Human rights body criticizes anti-terror law in Morocco

After considering Morocco’s report under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the UN Human Rights Committee criticized the Moroccan Government’s May 2003 counterterrorism legislation including: its broad definition of terrorist acts, according to which any “grave assault by means of violence” could constitute a terrorist act; the de facto retroactive application of the anti-terrorism law adopted in May 2003; the possibility of police detention of up to 96 hours (renewable twice) without access to a judge and limitations placed on access to legal counsel following arrest in counter-terrorism cases.

Country Report Concluding Observations